1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air fresheners and more particularly pertains to a toilet seat air freshener for drawing in noxious air, filtering and freshening the air, and returning the treated air to the toilet area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of air fresheners is known in the prior art. More specifically, air fresheners heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of removing noxious toilet air are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
In the past, toilet venting systems have been devised to remove noxious air through the toilet bowl through various means. However, these devices typically remove the air to a location exterior of the bathroom and therefore, installation of these devices requires considerable effort. Because of such effort, the prior art toilet venting systems are typically permanently installed. Several examples of such systems are illustrated in the prior art.
For example, a toilet bowl vent system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,346 which may be utilized with a toilet having a bowl and a plurality of openings disposed about its rim, and a tank to store water with a bowl filled tube interconnected with the openings. A vent is positioned above the level of maximum water storage in the tank and a low pressure region within the vent is established to bias air flow through the bowl rim openings in the toilet and also through the bowl fill tube in the toilet fill tube in the toilet tank and into the vent. Finally, an exhaust outlet is located at a remote point from the toilet in order to output the air flow from the toilet.
An R.V. toilet venting system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,]79,738 in which a remotely operable exhaust blower is operatively associated with the upper discharge end of the vent pipe of a recreational vehicle holding tank. The system utilizes a float-type liquid flow preventing valve which allows a downstream flow of odors and gases therethrough and prevents downstream flow of liquid under pressure therethrough.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,018 which discloses a toilet and device for removing unpleasant odors. The ventilation system includes a suction apparatus whose intake is connected to the upper region of the bowl above the water seal, and outlet passage whose opening communicates with the waste discharge passage of the toilet at a point below the water seal, and a valve means mounted in the outlet passage which is normally closed when the suction apparatus is inoperative. The suction apparatus and the valve means are electrically operated.
While these devices fill the respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a toilet seat assembly for drawing in noxious toilet air, filtering and freshening the air, and returning the treated air to the toilet area in which a toilet seat includes internal intake and exhaust ports, each provided with respective intake and exhaust apertures which communicate with an air treatment assembly operable to draw air in through the intake apertures, pass the air through both a charcoal filter and a deodorant filter, and exhaust the air through the exhaust apertures. Furthermore, none of the known prior art air fresheners teach or suggest an air treatment assembly which includes a heater assembly for warming the air prior to its exhaust.
In these respects, the toilet seat air freshener according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of drawing in noxious toilet air from a toilet bowl, filtering and freshening the air, and returning the treated air to the toilet area.